Two steps forward, two steps back? Assessing the current state of Minnesota pro sports (Part 1 of 2)4/25/2016 "Hope springs eternal." Or something like that. With the return of warm weather comes an overload of all things sports related. Baseball launches its opening act of 2016 while the NBA and NHL seasons kick into overdrive with their respective postseason finales. Meanwhile, the NFL laughs at the notion that there would ever truly be such a thing as an 'offseason' in our football crazed society. If you've followed my blog or read past entries, you'll find it is no secret than I am a diehard fan of Minnesota sports teams. How are things going with my favorite teams, you ask? Well, I suppose that depends on the day. What follows is part one of a two part series. Today I'll be focusing on the positive side of the equation - which is to say, the two teams I see as heading in the right direction. Without further ado, I present my first ever "state of the (MN Pro Sports) state" article. Renewed hope For the first time in a long time, "I'm sorry" doesn't figure to be the appropriate response when somebody discloses they are a fan of the Minnesota Timberwolves. After a twelve year absence from the NBA playoffs (the longest current streak in the league), the Timberwolves have suddenly transformed from damaged goods to a hot commodity. Throughout the course of their existence, events surrounding this franchise have ranged from bizarre to tragic, but rarely has there been much reason to celebrate. That might all be changing in 2016. Fresh off yet another losing season, I think it's fair to summarize the Timberwolves' season as a bit of a rollercoaster ride. Team spirits took a collective blow early on with the passing of head coach Flip Saunders a mere three days before the season was set to tip off. Following the loss of their coach, the Wolves played with passion and started out of the gates at 8-8, which was no small feat considering the team had only managed 16 victories in all of 2014-15. Then, of course, came the decline: a 6-28 record from late November-early February. Here we go again, right? Wrong. The young Pups made impressive strides under the leadership of Sam Mitchell after the all-star break, finishing with a 12-16 record down the stretch. More impressively, they averaged 106.2 points per game in the second half of the season, with some quality wins (BOS, @OKC, @WAS, @GS, @POR) along the way. The cherry on top for Wolves fans came on the final night of the regular season. Not only was the result on the court pleasant (a 144-109 home drubbing of the Pelicans), but the news from off the court was far better. Interim coach Sam Mitchell was being relieved of his duties and Wolves owner Glen Taylor was enlisting an outside firm to lead the search for the next head coach, who would also double as the president of basketball operations. Exactly one week after axing Mitchell, the Wolves announced the hiring of none other than the big fish himself, Tom Thibodeau. Considered the best available candidate on the market and a top 5 coach in the league by most, Taylor's power grab of 'Thibs' (5 years, $40 million) cannot be understated. This was the biggest move made by Wolves management in over a decade as the franchise formally and unequivocally signaled its commitment to winning. Have the downtrodden Wolves suddenly turned a corner? It sure seems that way. Though the Wolves possess a bevy of young, talented players, what comes next is just as important. With Andrew Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Towns looking every bit the part of future NBA All-Stars, a fitting comparison might be that of the 2009-10 Oklahoma City Thunder, who jumped to a 50-32 record following four consecutive years of cellar dwelling. While a prediction of 45-50 wins next year is within reason, that sort of leap would seem to be the best case scenario. Either way, the Wolves (and their fans) can't confidently expect a big boost in the win column without the team making a few roster moves first. In addition to it's exciting core of Rubio, Lavine, Wiggins, Dieng, Towns (none of whom are older than 26), the Wolves will presumably add another top 5 draft pick and a free agent or two to the mix. A veteran wing player such as Nicolas Batum or Jared Dudley would seem to be a realistic target in free agency as Thibodeau and new Wolves GM Scott Layden identify players that fit well within the scheme and long term plans of the team. It's not certain what position(s) management will make a priority, but they have the cap space and trade assets to make a splash, should they choose to do so. I'm not sure what the future has in store for the Minnesota Timberwolves, but for now, the arrow is pointing straight up. Keep your eyes on the rise, indeed. This team could be poised for some pretty big things. Elevated expectations Another team seemingly on the right path is the Minnesota Vikings. Coming off an 11-5 season in which they exceeded the expectations of many in the national media, the Vikings will be looking to raise their game to the next level in 2016-17. While defending the NFC North crown is never an easy feat, the Vikings are positioned to once again give the hated Green Bay Packers a run for their money. Pressure can either make or break a team, and we'll see how comfortable this team truly can be under the national spotlight. With a brand new, $1.2 billion stadium opening up in the heart of downtown Minneapolis, all eyes will turn to head coach Mike Zimmer and his talented young team to see if they can take a crucial next step. Stay tuned for my season preview column to come in the next few months, but it's clear that the NFL anticipates some intrigue from the Vikings, with a total of six games currently scheduled to take place in front of a national audience. Heading into the 2016 NFL season, it's clear the Vikings won't be able to use the element of surprise to their advantage. Teams around the league have taken notice of the Vikings and their apparent rise. Coach Mike Zimmer has been as advertised when it comes to his overall mastery of defensive strategy and managing personnel on that side of the ball. Fans would certainly be happy with another top 5 finish in defensive points allowed and that expectation is not farfetched. It's also reasonable to predict another strong season from Adrian Peterson, one year after he joined elite company (Jim Brown, Barry Sanders, Emmitt Smith, Eric Dickerson, Earl Campbell, to name a few..) in winning his third rushing title. That's not to say there aren't significant questions marks, however. As with any contender, the Vikings will need high level play from the quarterback position. Management and fans alike remain hopeful that Teddy Bridgewater can continue his development and evolve from a game manager into one of the league's elite signal callers. While the Vikings offense isn't predicated on a prolific passing game, Teddy's progression would allow for a much wider margin of error. The Vikings were 4-2 in games decided by 7 points or less in 2015, and it's not unrealistic to expect a few of those games to go the other direction next year without marked improvement from the offense. Of course, the fate of the Vikings season does not lie solely on the shoulders of Teddy, and GM Rick Spielman moved quickly in Free Agency to address various needs across the offensive line. LG Alex Boone was the prized signing this offseason, and he will immediately plug in as the team's best guard since Steve Hutchinson in his heyday. The addition of RT Andre Smith allows the team some patience with the rehab of Phil Loadholt, who is attempting to return from a torn Achilles tendon. Those two moves provides the Vikings with some much needed depth, and more importantly, some quality competition. It will be the survival of the fittest on the line this training camp (yes, I realize the irony of that sentence in describing 300+ lb men..) and that should in theory afford Teddy Bridgewater with some additional time and space in which to operate. Wide receiver is another part of the equation when it comes to boosting a Vikings offense that finished second to last in passing yards per game a year ago. It's widely believed that Spielman will make receiver a priority position in this Thursday's NFL draft, but only time will tell if the team has done enough to address an area of critical importance (and key need) where production was sorely lacking in 2015. You'll notice a couple things, of course. 1) I haven't mentioned the Vikings defense as a potential weakness, and 2) they still project as a team on the rise in the spirit of this article. Point being, although there is ample room for improvement on the offensive side of the ball, I am not overly concerned with the construction and outlook for the 2016-17 Vikings. No team is without it's faults, and Purple Kool-Aid be damned, I still have very high hopes for this group of players heading into the season. Will the Vikings break my heart once again this year? Quite possibly. Will I have fun watching them punish opposing teams with their smash-mouth brand of football? Absolutely. Lastly, are they a team on the rise with some very real potential? You bet(cha.) I hope you enjoyed this column! Any commentary, good or bad, is always appreciated. Keep your eyes peeled for the the final part of this series where I will turn my focus to two teams whose respective outlooks are a little less rosy in the Wild and Twins. Come back soon and be good to each other in the meantime! - Ted
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AuthorHey, I'm Ted Sorensen and this is my sports & personal blog. Leave some comments and let me know what you think! Archives
June 2016
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